We visited the Nzoro I hydro installation in the DRC recently.

We visited the Nzoro I hydro installation in the DRC recently.  A small team from Wright Dixon Engineering, under the leadership of Brian Adendorff, did the mechanical installation of the Francis turbine and accessories.  It was evident on site that the installation was excellently done by Brian and his team, under very challenging site conditions.

The hydro turbine was designed and manufactured by Hydro Power Plant HPP (France)  who subcontracted WD to install the turbine for our client RandGold Resources.  The turbine replaced an older unit and was installed in an existing power station by using the existing infrastructure.

The turbine was generating for a couple of months and the main purpose of the visit was to fine tune the control systems.  HPP handled the instrumentation and control on site themselves and Vincent Tinot spent many hours to achieve smooth operation and we can report that the turbine is operating stable.

As with any project like this one in a remote environment, teamwork is required to make it work.  PMES handled the electrical installation on site and are still involved in the day to day tasks required on site.  The client played a major supporting role in the project and handled the civil works and logistical support.